Foothill Gold Line Update: Funding Agreement and Master Cooperative Agreement Approved

This morning, the Los Angeles County Metro Board of Directors approved the Funding Agreement and Master Cooperative Agreement for the next segment of the Foothill Gold Line. These agreements lay the framework for $1.4 billion to be available to complete the Los Angeles County portion of the project, and the roles and responsibilities of each agency as we partner to complete the line in the coming years.

The Foothill Gold Line will be the first major Measure M project to move forward. Metro will use $1.109 billion of Measure M funds, along with other local and state funds, to pay for the project. Metro plans to apply for a $249-million grant from the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program to complete life-of-project budget requirements. Should that funding be unavailable, Metro will pursue other options and approaches to meet the full funding needs of the project. The Construction Authority continues to work with San Bernardino County to fully fund the portion of the project from Claremont to Montclair.

Today’s approvals follow several months of work with Metro CEO Phil Washington and his team. I want to thank them for their strong support of completing the project and their dedication to the partnership between our agencies.

I also want to thank the Metro Board members – especially Chairman John Fasana, and County Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Hilda Solis – for their support; as well as Construction Authority Board Chairman Doug Tessitor, Vice Chairman and Claremont Council Member Sam Pedroza, and the other board members and corridor council members that came out today to participate at the board meeting and press conference that followed.

Below is a photo taken at the press conference:

In the next few weeks, the Construction Authority will issue the Request for Bids for the first of two contracts being awarded for the project. The first contract will allow for advanced utility relocation work to begin, as the Authority procures the design-build team to build the Alignment project.

The Journey Continues,

Habib F. Balian